Mountain climbing

The director was behind the camera, pressing the spot beneath his nose.

He was no longer merely sweating down his back; he was drenched.

The hand holding his microphone trembled slightly. Receiving Lan Xiangxian's pleading look, he stiffly dragged the equally drenched cameraman out the door, taking the four guests out with him.

"Time to get up."

Once they had all left, Yuan Zhanpeng gently cupped Man Feiluan's chin and planted a light kiss on his forehead.

Man Feiluan opened his eyes groggily and nuzzled against Yuan Zhanpeng's chest, indicating that he did not want to get up.

"They just came to wake us up, with a camera, too. Are you really not getting up now?"

The company had actually sent them here this time to announce their relationship.

The two had hung out together before their debut, and the company had practically watched them grow up. Anyone brought in afterward had been screened.

Their bonds were nowhere near as deep as the bond between those two.

Besides, their abilities already put them beyond merely being idols, with one foot in the ranks of performers recognized for their talent, so the company had agreed to let them announce their relationship.

Yuan Zhanpeng peeled Man Feiluan off the bed and carried him into the bathroom to wash up.

The director waited anxiously outside.

He opened his phone and messaged Qiao Tong.

It was already nine in the morning, so Qiao Tong was most likely awake.

[Wang Xiao: Just in case, I wanted to ask, what exactly is your relationship with Hua Zhiyuan...?]

[Qiao Tong: ?]

[Wang Xiao: Open Weibo and take a look.]

He did not even need to open Weibo to know that his little variety show was trending again.

Who could understand his plight? He just wanted to make a proper variety show, not a gossip show!

Qiao Tong opened Weibo. #Matching outfits, wolf and sheep, Xinghan# sat high on the trending list.

She tapped it, and the comments were all talking about the director.

[I'm dying. Wang Xiao: I'll behave, please spare me.]

[Can we just say this is revenge for making them get up early? Wang Xiao: Can you couples stop flocking to my show in matching outfits? This is a travel show.]

[As everyone knows, "Let's Travel Together" is a famous dating show.]

She closed Weibo, laughing inwardly as she watched the director lose his mind on the other end of the phone.

But as for having her own selfish interests... how could she say she had none?

[Qiao Tong: Then I'll go wake Zhiyuan up so we can gather. It really isn't right to joke about girls like that. Pick a meeting place.]

[Wang Xiao: Thank you, best actress. You've given me a new lease on life.]

Putting away her phone, Qiao Tong knocked on Hua Zhiyuan's door.

Hua Zhiyuan was already up and doing her makeup. Before she could finish, she heard the knock.

She hurriedly pressed down on the hamster ears on her head, desperate to flatten and hide them.

But the more anxious she became, the harder they were to hide. Qiao Tong's voice came from outside the door:

"Zhiyuan, are you up? The director messaged us to gather."

Hearing Qiao Tong's voice, Hua Zhiyuan relaxed a little and spoke through the crack in the door.

"Best actress, I'm already up. I'm doing my makeup. I'll be done soon."

But making the best actress wait for her was certainly not right.

After some hesitation, Hua Zhiyuan opened the door and let Qiao Tong in.

Qiao Tong looked at Hua Zhiyuan's ears, somewhat shocked.

"Those..."

"I can't keep them tucked away when I first get up. They'll be fine after a while."

Hua Zhiyuan sat down at the dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror.

"I didn't expect you to be a hamster."

Resting her chin on her hand, Qiao Tong watched Hua Zhiyuan do her makeup with keen interest.

Perhaps she hid her species because the outside world was not particularly friendly toward rodent people.

But showing herself like this in front of her... was rather like a little hamster carefully sharing its favorite snacks with you.

So unguarded. How cute.

"Director, we're here."

Holding Hua Zhiyuan's hand, Qiao Tong ran toward the agreed meeting place.

The viewers in the livestream were no longer genuinely shipping them; they simply had to say something whenever they saw the two together.

To tease the director.

[All right, all right, another couple.]

[Please give "Let's Fall in Love Together" your support. Thank you, everyone.]

[These two girls are such a feast for the eyes.]

By now, the director had worked through his internal struggle and spoke without expression in the face of these comments.

"All right, now that all eight of you are here, today's task after breakfast is-mountain climbing!"

Holding the task board, he pointed at the bus behind him.

"There's a small mountain beside this village. It isn't very high. The first team to reach the summit will receive an honor badge.

"And once you reach the summit, you'll have free time to do whatever you want."

Mountain climbing?

Of the eight, only Man Feiluan looked happy. He jumped three feet into the air and pinched his fingers together at the camera.

"Yay, yay! A tiny little mountain! We've got this!"

With that, he pulled the remaining seven adults toward the place where they would eat.

Chu Xinghui had not done much mountain climbing, but he still knew that if he climbed today, he was destined to be unable to stand tomorrow.

Even the food in front of him no longer looked appetizing.

After breakfast, everyone boarded the bus and set off toward the mountain.

Having gone to bed very late last night, and having just eaten breakfast, Chu Xinghui began to feel sleepy.

His forehead rested against the window, bumping against it again and again as the bus swayed.

Pei Hanmo lowered his eyes and looked at Chu Xinghui's head. A red mark had already been pressed into his skin.

He sighed and glanced at the camera up front. Good, it was not pointing at them.

He reached out, placed his hand on Chu Xinghui's forehead, and gently turned his face onto his shoulder.

Then he casually looked away, as though he had done nothing.

After all, the director had just warned them in private that if he pulled anything else, Chu Xinghui might very well switch teammates.

To Wen Liangtian, for instance, or Wen Liangtian, or perhaps Wen Liangtian.

But what he had not anticipated was that the camera there was not currently broadcasting.

The livestream was showing footage from the camera installed inside the bus.

Although the two sat in the back row, some sharp-eyed viewers still noticed.

[How do I put this... I'm genuinely just a casual viewer, and I'm already used to seeing this.]

[He's so in love, okay?]

[Maybe they're just close friends? They haven't actually done anything particularly unusual, after all.]

[Exactly! They could just be good friends. Don't take such a shallow view of their relationship.]

The drive was about half an hour. As cool air blew from the bus's air conditioner, Yuan Zhanpeng took off his jacket and laid it over Man Feiluan's legs.

Wearing shorts under the air conditioning did get a little chilly.

Everyone on the bus was drowsy. Aside from the driver, practically everyone had fallen asleep.

Their sprawled sleeping postures made the fans chuckle.

[Get up! How can you sleep at your age?!]

[Still sleeping! You're on a variety show! All of you, get up!]